It is familiar to hold Christmas trees in vessel-like stands by clamping the lower ends of the trunks, using one or more inward projecting clamping screws. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,913,202, to Meldrum, three clamping screws, each mounted through a nut welded onto the outer surface of the vessel, have inner ends which bear against clamping plates hinged at one side to the inner wall of the vessel. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,885,763 to Gidlof, a single clamping screw projects through the wall of the circular vessel, for screwing through a nut mounted between separator strips within the vessel; on the inner end of the screw is mounted the apex of a clamping angle which moves inward to clamp the tree trunk against a fixed clamping angle member. It is believed that there are many other variations in the use of clamping screws to hold tree trunks and the like.